Your IT Path is Your Choice
The Best IT Education in 2024
Information Technology education comes in many forms.
One of the more popular paths is to get a bunch of certifications that relate to the job you are shooting for.
Many online-personalities have suggested that college is of no use to get into the field of IT.
In this post we explore the pros and cons of only Certs or only Diplomas or both!
IT Certifications and College Diplomas
Information Technology is a broad field with many positions of employment.
Part of why I got into IT is because I realized I wanted a career that offered something that everyone needed.
We all know how much the internet consumes everyone’s daily lives.
At the time, I enrolled in college not realizing how many certifications were available online.
Certifications are not free, you have to study, study, study and you pay a chunk of money to take the exam whether you pass or not.
The money and time invested in the good IT certs is still way less than college expenses.
Yet, even so, I am proud of my Associates Applied Science degree in Information Technology.
Information Technology Degrees
For one thing, exercising my mind with all the different college courses taught me more than just IT.
Attending a class environment that required social interaction, listening skills and meeting deadlines allowed me to grow as a person.
And, college enabled me to determine which particular niche of IT was good for my personality type.
Getting a taste of so many different skills kept me from going down a path that might have been less compatible.
Server Administration, Cloud, Virtual Machines, Cybersecurity, Smart Home Design, (hey we even completed a ton of Raspberry Pi 5 projects), were all taught in my college course.
It was Networks that enjoyed most to work on. (Pretty fun stuff. I have work experience implementing Networks now).
But I got to learn the fundamentals of so much more, and it really all ties together. BUT- couldn’t I have just studied for Networks+ or CCNA certifications without going to college?
Certifications Contemplation
Yes, college has its cost. But, guess what? I got a couple Cisco badges from college as well.
Networking Fundamentals and Switching, Routing and Wireless badges look really cool on my LinkedIn profile.
Plus, my college threw me a free voucher to take the $300 Networks+ cert exam.
I plan on taking the CCNA exam at some point too, since I already have worked on routers and switches all over the county.
Anyways, to each his own. I am pleased with my college experience and I got to meet some great people.
We will touch more on certs and badges in Part 2 of this subject.
Now get out there and enjoy your summer!
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